XI-MER 2013

XIOS-ISIB Measurements of Environmental Radioactivity

XIOS Diepenbeek: Wouter Schroeyers, Luc Lievens, Steven Lelie

ISIB Brussels: Caroline Licour, Jonathan Baré, Isabelle Gerardy

Ten-day course, 4 ECTS credits

Goal:

To confront the students with possible problems regarding radioactivity in our environment

Radioactivity measurements of artificial and natural contamination

Better knowledge of the measurement techniquesBetter understanding of our radioactive environmentBetter evaluation of what is harmful and what has to be accepted.

Participants:

Third year bachelorstudents of XIOSFirst year masterstudents of ISIBIndividual students from Cherne partners

Organisation:

First week in XIOSSecond week in ISIB

Program:

Lectures

NORM’s Radioactivity in Environment, Sampling and Measurement Radon

Practical sessions

Training with various types of detectors and tracking radiological sources ( in XIOS)

Field trips

Field trips in Demerbroeken, Mol (SCK-CEN), Villers-la-VilleOn the field spectrometrySoil sampling

Laboratory work

In ISIB Soil samples from Demerbroeken, Mol and Villers la Ville are analyzed. Soil air samples from Villers-la-Ville are counted.

Evaluation part

Oral presentation Report on the fieldtrips

Historical contamination from phosphate industry at Demerbroeken

Field trip in Demerbroeken

Large 2.0 x 2.0 NaI crystal, 6.3 in3  (103 cm3 )

40K 238U

232Th

Soil sampling (depth 0 to 4 cm):

Field trip in Mol:

Location:Banks of the Molse NeteDischarge point of a sewer coming from the nuclear complex Mol-Dessel.

On May the 22th of 2007, Greenpeace published a report of one of their actions

Soil sampling (depth 0 to 4 cm):

Field trip in Villers la Ville:

Weather cold and snowy.

214Bi, 609keV

137Cs, 662keV

40K, 1461keV

Spectrometry on the field

Measurement of the permeability of the soil

Not possible due to the frozen soil. Permeability very low and then, sampling of the soil air not significant (radon in the soil air not measured).

Funding:

Prince Philippe FundsCanberraIREGDF Suez

To be continued in 2014